Kind of microchannel heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A microchannel heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes two parallel collecting pipes on two sides, and a group of microchannel flat pipes between the two sides, and both ends of every microchannel flat pipe are connected to the collecting pipes. Tube walls of the microchannel flat pipe are tightly fit and fixed on the plate shaped heat conducting fin. A microchannel heat exchanger according to the invention gives good strength to the microchannel flat pipes, so as to avoid bending. Additionally, it increases the thickness of microchannel flat pipe, which can substantially prevent it from being worn or exposed. Moreover, the gap due to length error can be eliminated. Lastly, the thermal conduction capability is improved, which reduces the usage of silicone grease, and makes its application becomes more convenient.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese Utility Model No.201120334542.4, filed Sep. 7, 2011, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a kind of microchannel heat exchanger,especially to structural improvements in microchannel heat exchangertechnology.

Microchannel heat exchangers have the advantages of compact structureand high heat exchange efficiency, and have therefore been rapidlypopularized and applied. However, current microchannel heat exchangershave problems during service. First, microchannel flat pipe is of lowstrength and poor rigidity, and easily bent during transportation orinstallation. Once it deforms, its normal use will be influenced, andthe heat exchanger will be discarded as completely useless under severecircumstances. Second, the wall of the microchannel flat pipe is thin(e.g, only 0.17 mm), with poor abrasion and compression resistance. If awelding slag spot on the attachment surface (such as on an inner tank ofa water heater) has not been found, and the heat exchanger is directlywrapped on it, it will be easily worn or exposed after a long time,causing damage to the heat exchanger.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the invention provides a microchannel heat exchanger,including a group of microchannel flat pipe interconnected to form aheat exchange flow channel, wherein a wall of the microchannel flat pipeis tightly fit and fixed on a plate-shaped heat conduction fin.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a microchannel heatexchanger. The microchannel heat exchanger includes a group ofmicrochannel flat pipe interconnected to form a heat exchange flowchannel. A wall of the microchannel flat pipe is tightly fit and fixedon a plate-shaped heat conduction fin. The base material of theplate-shaped heat conduction fin and the microchannel flat pipe isaluminum. The microchannel flat pipe is welded on the plate-shaped heatconduction fin. A heat exchange channel of the microchannel flat pipe isformed by interconnected collecting pipes on its two sides. Thecollecting pipes and a group of microchannel pipe form a continuous heatexchange channel from an inlet connection to an outlet connection. Allsurfaces extending in a width direction of the group of microchannelflat pipe are in the same plane and the flat pipe is tightly fit andfixed on the plate-shaped heat conduction fin.

An objective of this invention is to propose a kind of microchannel heatexchanger with good strength, and abrasion and compression resistance bymeans of structural improvements aimed at the existing technicalproblems.

In order to achieve the above objective, the microchannel heat exchangerincludes a group of microchannel flat pipes that are interconnected toform a heat exchanger flow channel, which is improved in that the wallof the microchannel flat pipe is tightly fit and fixed on a plate-shapedheat conduction fin.

In one aspect of the invention the base material of the plate-shapedheat conduction fin and the microchannel flat pipe is the same.

In another aspect of the invention the microchannel flat pipe is weldedon the plate-shaped heat conduction fin.

In another aspect of the invention the heat exchange channel is formedby the interconnected collecting pipes on both sides of the microchannelflat pipe.

In another aspect of the invention the collecting pipes and the group ofmicrochannel pipe form a continuous heat exchange channel from an inletconnection to an outlet connection.

The heat exchanger of this invention has the following benefits andeffects: strength of the heat exchanger is improved, to avoid bending ofthe microchannel flat pipe; wall thickness of microchannel flat pipe isincreased, which can effectively prevent it from being worn or exposed;for the heat exchanger formed by the collecting pipes on both sides andmicrochannel pipes, the error due to length error of several pieces ofmicrochannel flat pipes can be eliminated, as well as the gap betweenthe microchannel flat pipe and the attachment during assembly, which iscaused because a width direction of microchannel flat pipe is not in asame plane when it is fixed on the collecting pipes on both sides; andlastly, the thermal conduction capability is improved, which reduces theusage of silicone grease, and makes its application more convenient.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a microchannel heat exchanger according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the microchannel heat exchanger of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways.

A basic structure of the microchannel heat exchanger in this embodimentis shown as FIGS. 1 and 2. A collecting pipe 1 on both sides isconnected to a group of parallel microchannel flat pipes 3, to form acontinuous heat exchange channel from an inlet connection 5 to an outletconnection 6 under the action of partition plate 2 inside the collectingpipe. All surfaces extending in a width direction of variousmicrochannel flat pipes 3 are in the same plane, and the pipe wall istightly fit and fixed on a plate-shaped heat conduction fin 4.

The plate-shaped heat conduction fin 4 and microchannel flat pipe 3 bothare made of aluminum. Experience has proven that the microchannel heatexchanger in this embodiment has substantially eliminated the existingtechnical problems. Therefore it can reach the following effects becausethe aluminum heat conduction fin is welded into a whole with themicrochannel flat pipe, then tightly wrapped on the inner tank (watertank) of water heater as required: First, strength and rigidity of thewhole heat exchanger are improved, to avoid bending of the microchannelflat pipe. Second, the thickness of the contact surface of heatconduction fin is increased, such that abrasion or tearing can beavoided. Third, with the heat conduction fin, heat exchanger and theinner tank wall of water heater can be joined together compactly duringinstallation, to eliminate the problems caused by error in the length ofthe microchannel flat pipe. Fourth, capacity of heat conduction of theheat exchanger is improved by over 5% because of the heat conductionfin, which reduces the usage of silicone grease, and makes itsapplication more convenient.

Besides the above embodiments, other manners can be executed for thisinvention. The technical schemes formed on the basis of equivalentreplacement or transformation will be within the protection scoperequired by this invention.

Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a microchannel heatexchanger. Various features and advantages of the invention are setforth in the following claims.

1. A microchannel heat exchanger, including a group of microchannel flatpipe interconnected to form a heat exchange flow channel, wherein a wallof the microchannel flat pipe is tightly fit and fixed on a plate-shapedheat conduction fin.
 2. The microchannel heat exchanger according toclaim 1, wherein a base material of the plate-shaped heat conduction finand the microchannel flat pipe is the same.
 3. The microchannel heatexchanger according to claim 2, wherein the base material of theplate-shaped heat conduction fin and the microchannel flat pipe isaluminum.
 4. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1,wherein the microchannel flat pipe is welded on the plate-shaped heatconduction fin.
 5. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1,wherein a heat exchange channel of the microchannel flat pipe is formedby interconnected collecting pipes on its two sides.
 6. The microchannelheat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the collecting pipes and agroup of microchannel pipe form a continuous heat exchange channel froman inlet connection to an outlet connection.
 7. The microchannel heatexchanger according to claim 1, wherein all surfaces extending in awidth direction of the group of microchannel flat pipe are in the sameplane, and the flat pipe is tightly fit and fixed on the plate-shapedheat conduction fin.
 8. A microchannel heat exchanger, including a groupof microchannel flat pipe interconnected to form a heat exchange flowchannel, wherein a wall of the microchannel flat pipe is tightly fit andfixed on a plate-shaped heat conduction fin, wherein the base materialof the plate-shaped heat conduction fin and the microchannel flat pipeis aluminum, wherein the microchannel flat pipe is welded on theplate-shaped heat conduction fin, wherein a heat exchange channel of themicrochannel flat pipe is formed by interconnected collecting pipes onits two sides, wherein the collecting pipes and a group of microchannelpipe form a continuous heat exchange channel from an inlet connection toan outlet connection, and wherein all surfaces extending in a widthdirection of the group of microchannel flat pipe are in the same plane,and the flat pipe is tightly fit and fixed on the plate-shaped heatconduction fin.